First broadcast 2nd December 1991.
Rumpole agrees to prosecute for the first time in a private complaint brought by the rich father of a murdered girl.
Leo McKern ... Horace Rumpole
Marion Mathie ... Hilda Rumpole
Peter Blythe ... Samuel Ballard
Rowena Cooper ... Marguerite Ballard
James Grout ... Mr. Justice Ollie Oliphant
Julian Curry ... Claude Erskine-Brown
Abigail McKern ... Liz Probert
Christopher Milburn ... Dave Inchcape
Jonathan Coy ... Henry
Maureen Darbyshire ... Dianne
Moyra Fraser ... Charmian Nichols
Frank Mills ... Figgis 'Fig' Newton
Geoffrey Chater ... Gregory Fabian
Margaret Whiting ... Mrs Fabian
Tyler Butterworth ... Roger Fabian
James Simmons ... Christopher Jago
David Sumner ... Francis Pyecraft
Pamela Miles ... Tricia Benbow
Alun Lewis ... D.I. Sloggett
Eunice Roberts ... D.S. Burville
William Haden ... Jury Foreman
Terry Wale ... Associate
Rumpole agrees to prosecute for the first time in a private complaint brought by the rich father of a murdered girl.
Leo McKern ... Horace Rumpole
Marion Mathie ... Hilda Rumpole
Peter Blythe ... Samuel Ballard
Rowena Cooper ... Marguerite Ballard
James Grout ... Mr. Justice Ollie Oliphant
Julian Curry ... Claude Erskine-Brown
Abigail McKern ... Liz Probert
Christopher Milburn ... Dave Inchcape
Jonathan Coy ... Henry
Maureen Darbyshire ... Dianne
Moyra Fraser ... Charmian Nichols
Frank Mills ... Figgis 'Fig' Newton
Geoffrey Chater ... Gregory Fabian
Margaret Whiting ... Mrs Fabian
Tyler Butterworth ... Roger Fabian
James Simmons ... Christopher Jago
David Sumner ... Francis Pyecraft
Pamela Miles ... Tricia Benbow
Alun Lewis ... D.I. Sloggett
Eunice Roberts ... D.S. Burville
William Haden ... Jury Foreman
Terry Wale ... Associate
Category
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TVTranscript
00:00This is Rumpel for the Prosecution. It's a rare, perhaps I think it's the only case in all these Rumpel series, in which Rumpel acts for the prosecution.
00:16How did it come about? A girl, a state agent, showing someone round a flat apparently, has been murdered and is found dead in this empty flat.
00:29There was such a case in England. A girl, a state agent, was found murdered and I don't think anyone was able to solve it, or solve it to this day.
00:39It was a good few years ago, but I read about it and it formed the basis of this particular Rumpel episode.
00:47The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
00:55And again this is a rare sort of a case because it's a private prosecution.
01:00Anyone can in England, under English law, start a prosecution and take someone to court and if there's found to be enough evidence for the person to be sent to trial, then there can be a private prosecution.
01:15You'd have to be rather rich to do it because it would cost you a great deal of money, but this father in this case is rich and he briefs Rumpel to act on a very rare occasion for the prosecution.
02:15The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
02:31The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
02:57The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
03:23The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
03:51The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
04:19The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
04:47The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
05:15The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
05:45The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
06:11The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
06:41The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
07:11The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
07:41The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
08:11The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
08:41The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
09:11The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
09:41The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
10:11The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
10:41The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
11:09The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
11:37The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
12:07The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
12:35The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
13:03The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
13:31The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
13:57The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
14:27The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
14:57The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
15:27The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
15:57The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
16:21The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
16:51The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
17:21The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
17:51The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
18:21The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
18:51The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
19:17The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
19:47The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
20:17The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
20:45The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
21:15The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
21:45The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
22:15The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
22:45The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
23:13The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
23:43The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
24:13The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
24:43The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
25:13The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
25:43The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
26:13The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
26:43The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
27:13The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
27:41The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
28:05The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
28:35The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
29:05The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
29:35The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
30:05The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
30:35The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
30:55The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
31:25The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
31:55The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
32:23The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
32:43The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
33:03The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
33:33The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
33:59The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
34:29The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
34:55The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
35:25The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
35:55The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
36:23The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
36:53The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
37:19The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
37:49The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
38:19The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
38:49The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
39:19The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
39:49The man that the police suspect is released by them, but the girl's father wants him prosecuted.
40:20Mr. Jago, I am bound to put it to you.
40:24You met Veronica Fabian at the Mews house that morning, you quarreled violently, you took their snobbery from the wall, you swaggered up above your head.
40:42Mr. Rumpole.
40:45Mr. Rumpole.
40:46Yes.
40:47Why are you treating us to this unusual moment of silence?
40:51My lord, I have an application to your lordship.
40:55It is of the greatest importance.
40:57What is?
40:59That the court adjourns as soon as possible to the scene of the crime.
41:03There is something that must be demonstrated.
41:07Now, Mr. Jago, would you mind standing there, please?
41:10Would you take this?
41:12I want you to try and hit me.
41:15There.
41:16Careful, Rumpole. We don't want to lose you.
41:24Quite so.
41:26We're prosecuting, and you've just got him off.
41:29Be upstanding.
41:37Will your foreman please stand?
41:38What did he say?
41:40I'm giving a small party to my defense team at the Warrington Hotel. Will you both come?
41:46I'm not guilty.
41:47Not guilty, my lord.
41:53Why did you do it?
41:55Did you want an innocent man convicted?
41:59What a stupid question. Of course you did.
42:02May I?
42:03Thank you.
42:06You said there was always one child that needed protection.
42:10But it wasn't Veronica, was it? It was your son, Roger.
42:13With his odd little way of accusing other people of things he'd done himself.
42:18What do you mean?
42:19Oh, come on.
42:21The racket of undervaluing houses to sell to your secret nominees.
42:26He accused Jago of doing that, didn't he? Just as he accused him of killing Veronica.
42:32Oh, I'm not trying to prove something beyond reasonable doubt.
42:37Just thinking.
42:40Go on, then.
42:43Well, we know Veronica found out what was going on.
42:49And didn't like it.
42:50She asked Jago for his advice.
42:53He told her to keep him well informed.
42:56Doubtless so that he could make something out of it when it suited him.
43:00And then, I think, Roger found out what his sister was doing.
43:06Well, she wasn't really his sister, was she?
43:09Perhaps he'd always been jealous of her.
43:12I think he followed her to the muse house.
43:15To ask her what the hell she thought she was doing.
43:18They quarrelled.
43:20He lost his temper, he took the knob curry off the wall.
43:23And he is short enough to swing it without hitting the ceiling.
43:28He didn't mean to kill her.
43:31Perhaps not, but he had to be protected, didn't he?
43:34For always.
43:36And the one sure way of doing that was to have someone else found guilty.
43:42And that is what you paid me to do, Mr. Fabian.
43:47You paid me to take part in a criminal conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
44:04You said you couldn't prove it.
44:07Even if I could.
44:09Even if I could.
44:11It's never really been my business to prosecute.
44:14And it's never been my business to take part in crime, either.
44:17I've instructed my clerk to return your money.
44:25Poor Roger.
44:28What?
44:30Not poor Veronica.
44:38I'm sorry.
45:09Thanks for coming, Mr. Rumpole.
45:12Do you always work for the other side?
45:14If you do, I'm bloody glad I didn't have you defending me.
45:17You know this little legal lady, don't you?
45:20What a marvelous witness.
45:22No comment.
45:24The bar's over there.
45:27Oh, hi there, Mr. Rumpole.
45:29Didn't we have a splendid win?
45:31Yes, one of Sam Ballard's most famous victories.
45:34I say, Ballard, I hope you're not contracting passive alcoholism from the contents of that glass, are you?
45:47Mr. Rumpole, it's your clerk on the phone. He says it's urgent.
45:51Right.
45:53Yeah, I've got a bit of a situation here, Mr. Rumpole.
45:57Yeah, Mrs. Ballard's here.
45:59Oh, bad luck.
46:00Yeah, she just happened to come up for her sprains and fractures refresher course and wanted to meet up with her husband.
46:08As he told her he was going to a Lawyers' Christian Society meeting tonight and might be late home.
46:14But she wanted to know where the meeting was being held so that she could join him if at all possible.
46:20Henry, he is at a private bacchanalia in Maida Vale.
46:24You knew we were all going, didn't you, Mrs. Ballard?
46:27Yes.
46:29Mr. Ballard, at the moment, is receiving some passive sexual excitement by standing close to Miss Tricia Benbow.
46:38I don't suppose you'll tell her that either, would you?
46:40No, sir, decidedly not.
46:43Where is the wife of Ballard now?
46:45Here beside me.
46:47Pass her over to me, Henry, would you?
46:51Yes?
46:53Oh, hello, matey. Marguerite, this is Horace Rumpole.
46:56Horace, what ever are you doing there?
46:59Sam can't come to the phone at the moment. He's very busy getting ready to induct a new member.
47:06A new member?
47:07Yes.
47:08Who?
47:09Me.
47:10You?
47:12Yes, I've decided to turn over a new leaf.
47:16But where are you meeting?
47:18Oh, I can't possibly tell you that over the phone, Marguerite.
47:21Why ever not?
47:22Well, for your own safety, we have received threatening calls from militant Methodists.
47:30Horace! Are you sure Sam's all right?
47:33Oh, yes, yes, perfectly all right. It's just that he can't come to the phone, that's all.
47:37He said he would see you at home in Waltham Cross, but don't wait up for him because he will probably be absolutely exhausted.
47:45Is he filled with the spirit?
47:48Oh, yes, indeed.
47:53That was your wife!
47:54Oh, she's not coming here, is she?
47:57No, I've given you a cast line alibi. I'll tell you about it later.
48:01Oh, Liz! I'd like to tell you my solution to the case of the altered brief.
48:06Liz, would you like to come for a duck?
48:08No, Dave, you stay. I'd like you to hear what I've got to say.
48:11I know you always get into chambers early. All white weeks do.
48:15You found to your horror that you'd been engaged by a flinty-hearted landlord in an eviction case to kick out a couple of gay women from house and home.
48:22What would Liz have thought of that?
48:25So you simply scratched out the name Inchcape and wrote in Claude Askin-Brown.
48:29Inchcape! Is this true?
48:32Is it, Dave?
48:34Well, go and tell Claude, for God's sake. Somebody's got to put him out of his misery.
48:38I'll come with you.
48:40Thank you, Liz.
48:41Make sure you do it.
48:47Until, matey...
48:53Ah! Ah! Good morning, Hilda.
48:57You were home very late last night.
48:59Yes, a few things to clear up in chambers.
49:03I'll make you a nice cup of coffee.
49:06You're in a very good mood this morning.
49:09Aren't I always?
49:11Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course, but...
49:14I'm not in the mood.
49:16You're in a very good mood this morning.
49:18Aren't I always?
49:19Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course, but...
49:22Oh, I say, where's the crock and gleam?
49:25Oh, look, you haven't pawned it, have you? I know things aren't brilliant, but...
49:28No, no, no, I sent it back.
49:30Well, what's it done wrong?
49:32Well, nothing, really.
49:33It's just that it takes twice as long to do the washing up as even you do, Rumpo.
49:40That's not it.
49:42It's her.
49:43Her?
49:44Charmian Nichols.
49:45Charmian Nichols.
49:47She wrote to Dodo,
49:49saying that Christmas with us
49:51was about as exciting as watching her fingernails grow.
49:56When I think of the money we spent on that tea set for her.
49:59Charming, Nichols, that's what we used to call her at school.
50:02We got her quite wrong.
50:04There's absolutely nothing charming about her.
50:07Hilda, how do you know what she wrote to Dodo about Christmas with us?
50:12Because Dodo sent me her letter, of course.
50:15After that, I simply couldn't sit and look at that thing
50:17that you had bought me just to please her.
50:20Wonderfully loyal lot, those old school chums of yours.
50:24Our thing is very bad, Rumpo.
50:27Nobody will employ me now.
50:28Changing sides in the middle of a case.
50:31Anyway, from now on,
50:33Rumpo only defends.
50:36You did what you thought was right.
50:42Please don't do what you think is right again, Rumpo.
50:45It does seem to have the most disastrous results.
51:45© BF-WATCH TV 2021
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